Republican Steve House wants to kick John Hickenlooper back to the bar

UPDATE:The T-shirts are for sale for $10 Saturday at the state GOP assembly.

Republicans want Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper[1] to go back to being a bartender, which is reflected in GOP candidate Steve House[2]’s T-shirt, held by his campaign manager Rob O’Regan. (Photo by Lynn Bartels, The Denver Post)

House, who is one of seven Republicans running for governor, addressed the Congressional District 2 assembly this morning and when he repeated that line, there was applause.

Hickenlooper founded Wynkoop Brewing Co. and helped spark the renovation of lower downtown before successfully running for Denver mayor in 2003 and governor in 2010.

The bartender line actually originated with Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler, who at one time contemplated taking on Hickenlooper.

“The governor is a nice man. I think he wants to be a friend. I think he wants to be an adviser. But at the end of the day, no one elected him to be the state bartender. They elected him to be governor,” Brauchler said last June[4].

Since then, other candidates have referred to Hickenlooper’s previous life, including state Sen. Greg Brophy[5] in his “Dear John” video[6].